Classics for 12 year old dd?

[SolidGold]

Dd (12) loves reading, but prefers girlie stuff like Cathy Cassidy. I'd like her to start reading more varied stuff including some classics. Any suggestions what she could start with that would catch her attention and make her want more?!

She enjoyed The Little Princess and The Secret Garden, I can't persuade her to read The Hobbit though.

[Takver]

I have to say dd loves fantasy & reads loads of it, but wasn't inspired by the Hobbit particularly.

What about:
Anne of Green Gables series (dd loved them)
Little Women plus sequels (ditto, I would have thought them too dated, but appears not)
Flambards series (re-issued as a Puffin Classic recently)
Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House books if she hasn't already read them?

I have the opposite problem and try to sneak fluffy stuff into the welter of dystopian angst

[ReluctantCamper]

All that Katy did
Anne of green gables (god how I loved that book!)
A wizard of earth sea (although if she's not keen on the hobbit you may struggle with this one)
The jungle book
King Solomon's mines

Hmm, I may have given too much thought to what books my 2 year old DC should read.....

[Takver]

X post with Waswondering!

[ReluctantCamper]

Oh yes, little house on the prairie, great suggestion.

[Takver]

DD also just got a box of hand me down Chalet School books and is happily working her way through them, appears she is not too old for them (tho she is a little younger, 11.5)

[SolidGold]

Thanks. She loves Anne of Green Gables, Pollyanna and Little Women. She's not keen on What Katy Did or Alice in Wonderland. I'll take a look at the others

[SolidGold]

Yes, she's read all the Chalet School books. Also read and loved Charlotte Sometimes.

[oscarwilde]

Children of the New Forest ?
Jock of the Bushveld
The Silver Brumby series
Charlotte's web
Judy Blume stories
To kill a Mockingbird

[Phineyj]

Some of Astrid Lindgren's books? Possibly Rosemary Sutcliffe. Elizabeth Goudge - Linnets amd Valerians. Seconding Children of the New Forest as well.

[Hassled]

Definitely To Kill A Mockingbird.
Is she too young for Catcher in the Rye?

[notyummy]

White Fang
Call of the Wild
Water ship Down
When Hitler Stole pink Rabbit/The Machingunners/The Silver Sword- all brilliantly exciting intros to WW2 but not too graphic

[SolidGold]

She's read Charlottes Web and most of the Judy Moody books. Also some Astrid Lindgren. Not sure about Catcher, may have to read it again myself to check.

Some of the others I haven't read, will check them out.

[SolidGold]

She loved The Silver Sword but won't read Watership Down.

[SolidGold]

I'll look for When Hitler Stole the Pink Rabbit. I read it ages ago and loved it. She enjoyed Anne Franks Diary so should enjoy it.

[Thewhingingdefective]

Not classics but what about The a Children of Green Knowe and The Box of Delights?

[MacaYoniandCheese]

Jane Eyre?

Oh please, NOT Watership Down! .

[Thewhingingdefective]

Sorry for the random 'a'...

[SantanaLopez]

The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings

I second Rosemary Sutcliffe, loved her.

Ballet Shoes- Noel Streatfield(?)

[SantanaLopez]

Possibly Pride and Prejudice?

Black Beauty might go well with the Secret Garden etc.

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

DD (similar kind of age) suggests other Eva Ibbotsons

Journey to the River Sea
The Star of Kazan
The Dragonfly Pool

[SthingMustBeScaringThemAway]

Wait You say she's read all the Chalet School books?

All 56ish? (Forgotten exact number.) Impressive.

I would recommend I Capture The Castle -Dodie Smith; Lorna Doone - R. D Blackmore; The Pied Piper - Neville Shute; all the Richard Hannay books - John Buchan and a future classic by Meg Rosoff - How I Live Now (conveniently just made into an apparently inferior film.)

[booksteensandmagazines]

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Some more modern but still excellent books with good story line and writing:

All Fall Down by Sally Nicholls
maggot Moon by Sally Gardner
she is not invisible by Marcus Sedgwick

[SolidGold]

We borrowed the Chalet School books from a friend, she said it was the whole set. Not sure how many, but there were a lot.

Some more good ideas I'll look out for. She's asked for a kindle for Christmas, so I'll get some of these for it.

[Enb76]

Try Alan Garner and Jenny Nimmo.